Sun legendary snapper Arthur Edwards awarded gong on 31st royal trip to Australia as King tells him to ‘take it easy’

THE Sun’s lensman Arthur Edwards was awarded a gong connected his 31st travel Down Under to screen the Royal Family — arsenic the King told him “take it easy”.

Arthur, 84, was presented with the Governor-General’s Medallion astatine Admiralty House successful Sydney.

The honour — which recognises important contributions to Australia — was fixed arsenic the King and Queen rounded disconnected their palmy six-day sojourn to Oz.

Arthur took clip retired to chat with Their Majesties and drawback up with each the events of the past fewer days aft covering each infinitesimal of the trip.

And earlier helium took the last photograph of the mates waving goodbye, the King, 75, who has paused his crab attraction to alert 10,000 miles to honour the invitation from the Australian PM, told The Sun’s long-serving lensman to “pace himself”.

The King and Queen past jetted to Samoa successful the South Pacific for a State Visit, which volition see the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

Arthur has covered Australian trips with the precocious Queen and Prince Philip, Charles and Di, Fergie and Andrew, William and Kate as good arsenic Prince Harry.

He said of his grant from Governor-General Sam Mostyn: “The King indispensable person told her each astir maine and that I’ve been doing this for much than 40 years.

“She came implicit and said ‘I privation to accidental convey you for everything you’ve done’.

“She gave maine the medallion and it was a beauteous surprise. I’m ever amazed erstwhile the King comes up and talks to maine arsenic I don’t expect it.

“I’ve travel to photograph the Royal Family for truthful galore years, but this has been the champion 1 ever.

"Not lone the mode the Australian nationalist person received them, but the mode it’s been received successful Britain.

“The King wanted to travel to Australia arsenic helium has been coming for 60 years and arsenic helium said helium loves Australia.

“He told maine to instrumentality it casual and gait myself. I’d emotion to travel backmost if the King comes backmost 1 day, but who knows.”

Arthur was made an MBE successful the 2003 Queen’s New Year Honours List for his services to the paper industry.

On his archetypal travel Down Under with the royals successful 1981, bachelor Prince Charles stripped disconnected to his swimming trunks and swam successful the oversea disconnected Bondi beach.

Queen's past circuit Down Under

And successful 1983 helium covered Charles and Diana’s five-week sojourn erstwhile they took on nine-month-old Prince William.

He was besides determination successful 2011 with the Queen for what would beryllium her past circuit Down Under.

The King and Queen looked refreshed arsenic they touched down yesterday successful superior Apia successful the South Pacific, greeted by a Samoan Police Force defender of honour.

The Queen emerged from the Royal Australian Air Force level wearing a pink tunic and wide trousers.

The King waved connected the aircraft’s stairs successful a grey suit and bluish tie. Samoa’s PM Fiame Naomi Mata’afa has encouraged him to formal down for the four-day sojourn to acceptable the laid-back “island vibe”.

After an exhausting trip, the mates had the evening off. Today, they volition person an authoritative ceremonial welcome.

They volition besides sojourn a accepted colony and embark connected a mangrove walk.

The King volition code the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting with leaders from 56 nations connected Friday.